Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic ETF channel currently oversees approximately $291 billion in assets under management across a diverse landscape of 400 ETFs and 100 brands. This past week, the channel experienced healthy investor interest, recording total net inflows of $340 million. This activity contributes to a phenomenal growth story for the year, with Year-to-Date (YTD) flows reaching $50.55 billion. The long-term trend remains equally robust, as the one-year flow total stands at $50.26 billion, signaling sustained conviction in thematic strategies throughout 2025.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Performance was characterized by a strong rally in resource-oriented themes, with the Precious Metals and Natural Resources categories leading the market with weekly returns of 4.66% and 3.13%, respectively. Conversely, the FinTech category was the primary laggard, posting a weekly decline of -1.49%. Despite the short-term dip in FinTech, the broader thematic landscape remains strong YTD, led by the staggering 181.65% return in Precious Metals and 50.83% in Natural Resources.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precious Metals | 4.66% | 17.10% | 28.76% | 83.19% | 181.65% | 177.14% |
| Natural Resources | 3.13% | 7.22% | 12.02% | 34.39% | 50.83% | 49.17% |
| Industrial Revolution | 1.34% | 5.32% | 3.68% | 18.64% | 31.67% | 28.09% |
| Health Innovation | 1.22% | -0.04% | 18.95% | 30.59% | 27.38% | 24.33% |
| Infrastructure | 1.20% | 0.92% | 3.29% | 11.34% | 22.45% | 21.20% |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 1.17% | 2.18% | 2.61% | 13.43% | 23.06% | 18.85% |
| Disruptive Tech | 1.10% | 2.19% | 0.18% | 11.16% | 22.13% | 18.08% |
| Alternative Equity | 1.08% | 3.15% | -0.41% | -1.08% | -1.56% | -1.70% |
| Midstream & MLPs | 1.03% | -0.53% | -1.28% | 0.42% | 5.93% | 6.50% |
| Sustainability | 1.02% | 1.76% | 7.19% | 28.08% | 37.88% | 34.57% |
| Evolving Consumer | 0.01% | 4.27% | -2.73% | 14.93% | 19.60% | 18.19% |
| FinTech | -1.49% | -4.16% | -10.24% | 9.17% | 21.13% | 13.75% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The week’s standout performer was the Sprott Nickel Miners ETF (NIKL), which jumped an impressive 9.70%. In contrast, the cannabis sector faced significant headwinds, with the Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF (MJ) and Roundhill Cannabis ETF (WEED) falling -7.77% and -5.26%, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| NIKL | Sprott Nickel Miners ETF | 9.70% |
| ILIT | iShares Lithium Miners and Producers ETF | 9.00% |
| LIMI | Themes Lithium & Battery Metal Miners ETF | 8.68% |
| SLVR | Sprott Silver Miners & Physical Silver ETF | 8.41% |
| ION | ProShares S&P Global Core Battery Metals ETF | 7.92% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| MJ | Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF | -7.77% |
| WEED | Roundhill Cannabis ETF | -5.26% |
| CNBS | Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF | -4.66% |
| OWNB | Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF | -4.34% |
| MSOS | AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF | -4.27% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The thematic channel recorded a total net inflow of $329 million this week. The Natural Resources category was the dominant leader, attracting $732 million in new capital, which brings its total AUM to $44.2 billion. Precious Metals also showed resilience with $271 million in inflows. On the defensive side, the Thematic – Multi-Sector category experienced the largest rotation out, with net outflows totaling $473 million.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day Flow | 30 Day Flow | YTD Flow | 1 Year Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Resources | 55 | $44.2B | $732M | $2,135M | $5,243M | $5,155M |
| Thematic Precious Metals | 14 | $52.0B | $271M | $1,531M | ($351M) | ($360M) |
| Infrastructure | 41 | $41.9B | $183M | $1,574M | $9,852M | $10,002M |
| Industrial Revolution | 35 | $16.1B | $172M | $335M | $5,270M | $5,265M |
| Health Innovation | 23 | $2.3B | $18M | $50M | ($49M) | ($111M) |
| Sustainability | 27 | $6.7B | $1M | $138M | $353M | $342M |
| Midstream & MLPs | 16 | $21.5B | ($2M) | $60M | $1,748M | $1,759M |
| Alternative Equity | 9 | $2.4B | ($45M) | $86M | $766M | $789M |
| FinTech | 24 | $5.2B | ($75M) | $59M | $368M | $372M |
| Evolving Consumer | 45 | $15.9B | ($164M) | ($244M) | ($829M) | ($1,018M) |
| Disruptive Tech | 62 | $54.7B | ($290M) | $1,109M | $20,485M | $20,591M |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 41 | $27.8B | ($473M) | $1,116M | $7,683M | $7,457M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX) was the week’s flow leader, securing $180 million in net new assets. Outflow activity was concentrated in broad thematic composites, with the State Street SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF (KOMP) seeing $485 million exit, followed by the Amplify Cybersecurity ETF (HACK) at $212 million.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| COPX | Global X Copper Miners ETF | $180M |
| XME | State Street SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF | $166M |
| PAVE | Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF | $123M |
| URA | Global X Uranium ETF | $111M |
| GRID | First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID ETF | $84M |
| Outflows | ||
| KOMP | State Street SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF | ($485M) |
| HACK | Amplify Cybersecurity ETF | ($212M) |
| QTUM | Defiance Quantum ETF | ($138M) |
| FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | ($122M) |
| IFRA | iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF | ($116M) |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X and iShares maintain their positions at the top of the thematic ladder, commanding market shares of 17.66% and 16.03%, respectively. Global X was the week’s clear leader in asset gathering, pulling in $644 million in net inflows across its product suite. In contrast, SPDR faced the largest redemption pressure among the top issuers, seeing $360 million in weekly outflows.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 36 | $51.35B | 17.66% |
| iShares | 33 | $46.60B | 16.03% |
| VanEck | 18 | $46.02B | 15.83% |
| First Trust | 30 | $40.66B | 13.99% |
| ARK | 7 | $14.50B | 4.99% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Global X | $644M |
| Sprott | $213M |
| iShares | $138M |
| Outflows | |
| SPDR | ($360M) |
| Amplify | ($159M) |
| Defiance | ($136M) |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth Thematic ETF reports in the right side panel of this page.
Disclosures
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. All investments, including ETFs, involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investors should consider their investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing.
This analysis was developed by the team at ETF Action. We leverage advanced AI tools to assist in the drafting and refinement of our content, based on our expert prompts, direction, and final review.
